Are the Hellenes Pagans?
Depends on who you ask, and how you define "Pagan". If you are referring to people that are not part of an Abrahamic faith, then Hellenismos would be Pagan. On the other hand, if you're referring to the Goddess-worshipping earth-based form of Paganism, the Hellenes wouldn't fit that definition. Some Hellenes object to being described as "Pagan" at all, simply because many people assume that all Pagans are Wiccans, which Hellenistic Polytheism definitely isn't. There's also a theory that the Greeks themselves would never have used the word "Pagan" to describe themselves in the ancient world.
Worship Today
Hellenic revivalist groups are found all over the world, not just in Greece, and they use a variety of different names. A Greek organization is called the Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes, and its pracitioners are "Ethnikoi Hellenes". The group Dodekatheon is also in Greece. In North America, there is an organization known as Hellenion.
Traditionally, members of these groups perform their own rites and learn through self-study of primary materials about the ancient Greek religion and through personal experience with the gods. There is usually no central clergy or degree system as found in Wicca.
Holidays of the Hellenes
The ancient Greeks celebrated all kinds of festivals and holidays in the different city-states. In addition to public holidays, local groups often held celebrations, and it wasn't uncommon for families to make offerings to household deities. As such, Hellenic Pagans today often celerbate a wide variety of major festivals.
During the course of a year, celebrations are held to honor most of the Olympic gods. There are also agricultural holidays based upon harvest and planting cycles. Some Hellenes also follow a ritual described in the works of Hesiod, in which they privately offer devotions in their home on designated days of the month.
Books You Might Enjoy:
Roger Bacon - The Mirror Of Alchemy
Robert Wang - The Qabalistic Tarot
Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis
John Dee - The Calls Of Enoch
